Combat Guide (Cancer)
Thunder Strike possesses a multitude of unique bosses with varying degrees of difficulty (some less so than others). There is bound to be a moment when you encounter a boss that proves its worth and actually poses a challenge. This is especially so in Stage Mode, and thus this guide aims to offer the best tips and tricks for every boss you meet. Grab your notebook and pen (or just remember it). Also, click here to see the Stage layout for referencing. Cancer Constellation The Cancer fields have once again, new enemies with better firepower and heavily increased armor. They will not be easy to take down and will require a but of endurance to pull through. Enemy wave behaviour - Fighters come in moderate wave sizes and short pauses but the real threat is their endurance and heavy fighters in large numbers. They can survive on the field long enough to unleash moderate bullet waves upon you, so prioritize reducing their numbers quickly. Also be careful with side-swiping fighters, as they can catch you off guard and inflict heavy crash damage. Stage 26 - Armored Lizard (2nd) This 2nd iteration isn't particularly threatening again, but it has an improved weapon for bullet blocking. The talons can now fire in a slow spread that forces you to circumvent them and blocks your bullets extensively. In addition, it features a new drone attack which it can send out from its cockpit. These are able to absorb a fair amount of damage and act as damage soakers for the Lizard. If you cannot blast through them, then get around them and attack when the opportunity presents itself. Note that Defender wing planes can neutralize the talons, but you might want to be careful still. Stage 28 - Destroyer IV After being defeated twice and upgraded as Destroyer IV, this ship moves around pretty quickly to shift its bullet waves. Apart from improved HP, it retains use of its cockpit gun and the lone turret on its back, primarily to fire its signature lasers. Its main tactic is to entrap you in bullet walls and fire its lasers within. Don't stray too much into the center where it attacks, and you will survive. In its 2nd form, it gains a bit more speed and launches new attacks with its guns. Noticeably, an increase in bullet attacks and sprays, including tracking gunfire. Its bullet wall is tighter which restricts your movement when it uses the lasers in tangent. At this point, you may want to bring along high fire-rate weapons or at least a Peak/Alien fighter to overcome its increased high-speed missile barrages. Stage 30 - The Dead-R (2nd) With improved HP, this menace is back to hound you with its powerful and disruptive weapons. Able to now fire more electric spheres and even 4 laser cannons in tight formation, this battle is even slower to finish. Dead-R pretty much dictates your pace of battle due to it forcing you to exercise caution. Don't be too hasty and you can win eventually. If you're feeling gutsy enough, try to enter the narrow blind spot and attack it every time it fires its quad-laser cannons. And if you still own a Peak fighter, you might as well use it to bypass those spheres. Stage 32 - Dark Magic Disc This peculiar new boss looks unassuming at first. It has a penchant for spinning around and spraying gunfire. Its new feature is the extensive use of radial and spiraling gunfire, unlike the previous bosses which only used spread gunfire in a your general direction. Another new type is accelerating bullets, which as the name implies, pick up speed upon firing. It uses this type to fire lock-on bullets at you. Because of its relatively large circular size, it can be easily struck down by all weapons, and doubly effective if you own Alien fighters which can take advantage of the Disc's size and length. The real danger starts when its in 2nd form, not including its newly revealed intimidating facade. Featuring heavier and denser spiral gunfire, it also shoots out high-speed laser bursts from its "eyes". Due to the orange-hued stage background and the difficult to notice sprites (orange sparkles), players will be hit by surprise before they get to notice. If there is a general rule of thumb for prudence, stay away from its center and you will likely be fine. Be careful during its transformation sequence, once it finishes, its first attack is the eye lasers. And they hurt! Category:Guides Category:Gameplay Category:Stage Mode Category:Mech Armour Category:Boss Ships Category:MiniBoss Ships Category:Cancer